Ephesians 5:14
Read Ephesians 5:14 Using Other Translations
What does Ephesians 5:14 mean?
Wherefore he saith
Either the man that is light in the Lord, who reproves the
unfruitful works of darkness; or else the Holy Ghost by Paul, who
here speaks after the manner of the prophets; or God, or the
Spirit, or the Scripture; see ( James 4:6 ) ; but where
is it said? some think the apostle refers to ( Isaiah 9:2 ) ; others to
( Isaiah
26:19 ) ; others to ( Isaiah 60:1 ) ; some
are of opinion the words are cited out of an apocryphal book of
Jeremy, or from some writing now lost; and some have thought them
to be a saying of Christ, that was fresh in memory: it may not be
improper to observe what Maimonides says F13, that
``the blowing of the trumpet in the beginning of the year had an intimation in it, as if was said, (Mynyvy wrwe) "awake ye that sleep", from your sleep, and ye that slumber rouse up from your slumber, and search into your actions, and return by repentance, and remember your Creator;''whether any reference may be had to this, may be considered: the words are spoken not to unregenerate men, for though they are asleep, and dead in sin, and need awaking out of sleep, and raising from the dead, yet they are never called upon to awake and arise of themselves; such a sense would countenance the doctrine of man's free will and power, against the quickening and efficacious grace of God; but to regenerate persons, professors of religion, to whom the epistle in general was written; and who are spoken to, and exhorted in the context:
awake thou that sleepest:
the children of God are sometimes asleep, and need awaking; of
the nature, causes, and ill consequences of such sleeping, and of
the methods by which they are sometimes awaked out of it, (See
Gill on Romans
13:11).
And arise from the dead;
living saints are sometimes among dead sinners, and it becomes
them to arise from among them, and quit their company, which is
oftentimes the occasion of their sleepiness: besides, the company
of dead sinners is infectious and dangerous; it is a means of
hardening in sin, and of grieving of the people of God, who
observe it; and by abstaining from their company, a testimony is
bore against sin, and conviction is struck into the minds of
sinners themselves; to which add, that so to do is well pleasing
to God, who promises to receive such who come out from among
them, and separate themselves from them: and it follows here as
an encouragement, and Christ shall give thee light; for such who
are made light in the Lord, stand in need of more light; and by
keeping close to the word, ways, ordinances, and people of
Christ, they may expect more light from Christ: they need fresh
light into pardoning grace and mercy, through the blood of
Christ; they want more to direct them in the way they should go;
and they are often without the light of God's countenance; and
they may hope for light from Christ, since it is sown in him, and
promised through him; and he is given to be a light unto them,
and he is the giver of it himself.
F13 Hilchot Heshuba, c. 3. sect 4.
